


Crossroads

by thortillachips



Series: Dangerous Waters [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Budding Love, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 05:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4551540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thortillachips/pseuds/thortillachips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor has finally fulfilled his mission to eliminate Charles Lee. Badly injured, he is brought back to the manor to be treated where Josephine keeps him company for the night. Realizing the consequences of Charles Lee's death, Josephine finds herself in a dilemma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crossroads

**Author's Note:**

> My first proper story in about two years? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I had the idea floating about for a while with this, and I finally decided it was high time to actually write it down as a story. Since this story is a part of a bigger one, I've decided to compile them into a series of one-shots, but they won't be taking place in chronological order. 
> 
> Also I need to think of a proper title for the series, so the current one's very much the WIP for now _(:'3J L)_

Connor staggered through the manor’s front door, leaving a trail of blood behind. His weakened body was supported by an older gentleman, whose clothes were stained with the assassin’s blood. He leaned against the doorframe, trying to catch his breath.

“Easy there, boy. Wouldn’t want to make the wound any worse,” the man firmly instructed. He had the accent of an Englishman; he was a foreigner in these lands.

The hall was empty, but there was the sound of activity from the kitchen, signifying that they weren’t alone.

“Josephine!” called the man. “Come here, now! It’s an emergency!”

A lady about Connor’s age emerged from the kitchen. Her expression instantly changed at the sight she saw. Josephine dropped the cloth she was holding, running to the both of them so that she could help bring Connor into the house.

“Uncle William! What happened?!”

“Found him bleeding half-dead along the way home, that’s what!”

“Jo…”  He tried to speak her name, but the words wouldn’t come. He was too weak to do anything. He was disorientated from the blood loss and could barely make out the figure in front of him, but he knew who she was. A sense of relief washed over him.

“Listen to me,” William interjected. “I need to you to get Dr. Lyle. Tell him what’s happened on the way.”

“R- Right,” nodded Josephine, slowly stepping away from him.

Connor groaned. Wincing, he put a hand over the wound. Josephine flinched at the sight. She hoped it wasn’t as bad as it looked, but had a feeling that wasn’t going to be the case.

“And don’t tell anyone else about this. Not yet,”   her uncle added sternly.

Josephine merely nodded again, setting off in search for the Homestead’s resident doctor.

“Now.” William turned his attentions to Connor. “Let’s move you somewhere more comfortable. I don’t know how you ended up like this, but I’m counting on you to pull through,” he said, leading him towards Achilles’ old bedroom.

In the meantime, Josephine cantered on horse as fast as she could. To her relief, she found the doctor in conversation with Father Timothy near the church.

“Dr. Lyle!” shouted Josephine, coming to a halt.

“Josephine! What’s the matter? You’re as pale as a ghost!” replied the doctor.

“It’s… an emergency,” she said, remembering her uncle’s words. “Grab a kit and a horse. I’ll explain on the way.”

“M-Most certainly,” said Dr. Lyle. He excused himself from Father Timothy, seeking a nearby horse that he could borrow whilst returning home to fetch his tools.

Father Timothy approached Josephine, inquiring the reason for her anxious behaviour. Josephine could only apologize; she was told not to say much about the matter. She took off alongside Dr. Lyle without another word.

“Ah, you’re finally here, doctor. I did my best to stop the bleeding. I leave the rest to you,” said William. “Lost quite a bit, but the young man’s strong.”

“Any idea what could’ve happened?” said Dr. Lyle, entering the room. He proceeded to get his tools ready to deal with the patient.

“None at this point. Perhaps a nasty fall?” William shook his head, looking at Josephine, who exhaled deeply as she looked down at Connor.

“How serious is it?” asked the gentleman.

“Quite, but fortunately not as bad as it looks. Still, I’m afraid this could take a while,” replied the doctor, directing his statement to Connor as well as William and Josephine.

Connor had little idea about what was going on by then. His body was too weak to move from all the pain, and he could barely make sense of his surroundings.  He wondered if this was how he would meet his end. He could feel Dr. Lyle working on treating his injuries, and snippets of the voices that filled the room.

“He looks just as bad as when you helped him out of Fort George, and even then…” Connor heard William say, though the last few words were lost to him.

Josephine tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Her fists clenched.

Injuries. It was a sight she was used to seeing… or was supposed to, anyway. They suffered them half the time. Sure there was concern amongst each other whenever that happened, but it wasn’t anything too bad. Impairing and taking out targets was literally part of her job. It was all in a day’s work for her kind.

Yet this… this was something else altogether, and her uncle’s words seemed to hit her hard.

Perhaps it was what happened nearly a year ago when they found him after he blew up Fort George, or the realization that this wasn’t just any old injury due the circumstances in which he was found. Maybe it was that, and something else that only Josephine was aware of at the time.

“Dr. Lyle… he’ll be fine, won’t he?” said Josephine, trying to compose herself.

“I can’t promise you anything right now, but I’ll try my best.”

William placed a hand on his niece’s shoulder. He gave her a reassuring pat. “Come now, Josephine. Let’s leave this doctor to finish the job,” he said.

Josephine nodded her head, returning the small smile her uncle gave her. She turned to face Connor, and approached the bedside. She knelt down next to him, trying to sound as calm as she could despite all the worry.

Connor felt the touch of Josephine’s hand.

“Don’t die on me now, Connor. Not yet,” he heard Josephine’s voice speak through the darkness. “I know you’ll pull through. You’re a warrior, after all. A warrior, and a Kenway.”

He attempted to squeeze her hand in response, acknowledging her words. Connor heard William’s voice usher Josephine away. Her touch slipped away from his, followed by the sound of footsteps leaving the room.

William and Josephine went into the kitchen, where they waited for Dr. Lyle to finish the job. William offered to make some tea.

“Don’t look so worried, my dear. He’ll pull through, same as last time,” said William, placing the cup of tea in front of Josephine. “Milk?”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, uncle,” replied Josephine, playing with her braided ponytail.

William studied his niece’s expression for a moment. Her eyes were cast down at the untouched tea. She seemed to be thinking about the situation at hand.

_… The situation?_ He thought.

Suddenly, something clicked in the gentleman’s head.

“Oh.” William swallowed. Yes, of course. How could he forget? He cleared his throat, looking away from Josephine.

The atmosphere became heavy, and neither party said a word. William was trying to think of something to say that would distract them away from the topic, while his niece drifted off into her own thoughts, letting the tea go cold.

Dr. Lyle eventually emerged to give his status report. Much to Josephine (and William’s) relief, Connor was, and would be, completely fine. However, his injury would take some time to heal, limiting his movements for the first few weeks. The doctor added that he would stop by in a few days to check up on the patient.

“Thank you, Dr. Lyle, and take care on the way home,” said William, accompanying the doctor on the way out.

As he closed the door after bidding goodbye, William breathed a sigh. He looked at his niece, who was leaning against the doorframe that led to the back area of the manor. He approached, putting a hand on Josephine’s shoulder.

“Go to him,” he said with a small smile. “We’ll discuss the matter some other time.”

Josephine nodded in reply. “Right. Are you heading back to the house, uncle?”

“Only to grab a few supplies. From what I saw outside, it seems like we’re in for a stormy evening. Besides, I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere anytime soon. Not with him in that state, at least” He peered into Achilles’ room. Connor was completely knocked out.

“Poor lad. You sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

“Uncle.” Josephine gave her uncle a disapproving look, but she was grinning. “You know I’ll be fine.”

 

How long had he been asleep for?

Connor could hear the sound of wind and heavy rain. Opening his eyes, Connor realized that night had fallen. It was dark, save for the oil lamp as the light source. There was a fragrance coming from the kitchen just opposite of the room. He wondered what it could be.

It didn’t take long for Connor to realize that he was not the only one in bed. Peering to his left, he found Josephine facing him, asleep. Connor tried to sit up, but he lacked the strength. There was a searing pain on the right side of his abdomen, and he couldn’t help but let out a groan as he slumped back into his original position. His movements caused Josephine to stir from her slumber.

“Connor?” mumbled Josephine.

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to wake you.”

Realizing that she’d dozed off, Josephine instantly sat up. She felt a little disorientated having gotten up so quickly. “No, I wasn’t- I- I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She shook her head, and turned towards Connor. “How are you feeling?”

“In pain,” Connor replied with a small smile, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“I gather that much,” Josephine grinned back. She got up and went to Connor’s side, helping him to a sitting position. She told him she would get something for him to eat, and excused herself from the bedroom.

“Uncle?” Josephine called from the dark corridor, but there was no answer. “Must be asleep already,” she mumbled, going into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, with  a yell of ‘Ow!’ from the kitchen, she re-emerged, carrying a bowl.

“What happened?” Connor inquired. He’d tried to catch a glimpse earlier, but he didn’t manage to see a thing.

“Oh, nothing!” said Josephine, quickly brushing off the incident. “I just spilled some soup on my hand, but I’m fine, really!”

Connor tried to move into a more comfortable position. He groaned again, slumping slightly in his seat. “How long was I out for?”

“Just a couple of hours. Uncle’s most likely sleeping upstairs,” said Josephine, setting the bowl aside to help Connor adjust his position. She sat herself next to him on the bed. However, before she could reach to take the bowl, Connor grabbed her hand, shaking his head slowly.

“You have to eat something, Connor. Don’t be stubborn.”

Josephine placed the bowl of soup on her lap. Taking a spoonful, she gave the broth a blow or two to cool it down.

“Here,” she said, bringing the spoon to Connor’s lips.

Connor took a sip. He recognized the flavour; Josephine had made it the last time he had gotten injured after what happened Fort George.

“Chicken soup?” he said.

“Yeah. Mother used to make it all the time when we were ill, or when father got injured,” said Josephine, smiling fondly at the memories of home. “Of course, I had to make do with the ingredients we had, so it’s not really the same thing. Not the one she’d make, at least.”

“It seems you have improved since that day,” Connor teased.

“Hey!” Josephine flushed with embarrassment, knowing _exactly_ which incident he was talking about.

She managed to feed Connor a few more mouthfuls of soup before he stopped her, saying that he did not want anymore. Outside, the rain was still pouring, followed by the occasional lightning and thunder. It was chilly, but thankfully the fireplace was doing its job of keeping them both warm.

“So,” said Josephine, setting the soup aside. “You did it, huh? Charles Lee.”

He nodded his head.

“And you couldn’t be bothered to take care of the wound first?” she half-joked, glancing at the bandages wrapped around Connor’s abdomen.

“There was no time. I had to finish him as soon as possible. I had already shot the man when I chased him at the docks in Boston. He escaped, and went to the tavern Monmouth. He was weak and dying when I found him. It had to be done.”

“And that?” She nodded in the direction of the amulet on the bedside table.

“I found it on Charles Lee, but I do not know its true purpose yet.”

Josephine merely nodded in reply, letting the information sink in. Noting the solemn expression that suddenly appeared on her face, Connor gently reached for her hand. Josephine turned away from Connor. He felt confused at her strange behaviour. Had he said something bad?

“Josephine? What’s wrong?” He squeezed her hand, hoping for a response.

Josephine shook her head. “Nothing. I was just… thinking,” she spoke. _Now wasn’t the time to be thinking of such things_ , Josephine thought. She’d have to put them aside and settle the matter tomorrow. That wasn’t a priority right now.

“It’s been a long day, that’s all,” she half-lied, hoping that he wouldn’t get suspicious.

“Josephine,” said Connor, gently. “I am sorry if I worried you. That was not my intention at all.”

“I know.” She pulled her hand away from his and placed it on his cheek. “Uncle William said he found you half-dead on the way home, and you looked terrible when you arrived here. It was… scary, to say the least.”

“I was lucky. I do not know what would have happened if he had not found me then, but I knew I had to come back to you,” replied Connor, leaning into her touch with a warm smile.

Seeing the look on his face, she couldn’t help but return the smile, chuckling. He always managed to look so sincere when he smiled. How he did it was a mystery to Josephine, who felt her heart skip a beat. Impulsively, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his forehead, letting them linger for a moment before placing her forehead against his.

“Stay with me tonight,” Connor implored in a whisper.

“Connor…”

“Please.”

Josephine said nothing. Instead, she moved to put the cold soup away in the kitchen. She helped Connor lie down and then crawled into her previous spot on the bed.

“I’ll be here,” she reassured him. “Goodnight.”

It didn’t take long for Connor to fall asleep, being as exhausted as he was from the whole ordeal with Charles Lee. At least now he had some time to rest before resuming his Brotherhood activities. There was a lot that still needed to be done, but for now, he was confined to the Homestead.

Josephine, on the other hand, found it a little difficult to go back to sleep. She watched Connor in his slumber, the way his chest slowly rose and fell with his breathing. Every now and then he’d make a sound, stirring slightly, but never waking.

Her thoughts began to race again, and something suddenly welled up inside Josephine. She bit her lip, trying to stop herself from bursting into tears.

“You’re a good man, Connor,” she murmured. “You don’t deserve this.”

By the time morning came, the storm had passed. The sunlight filtered through the curtains in Achilles’ room. Connor could hear birds chirping outside, as well as the crackling from the fireplace that kept the room warm. His side was still hurting, but it wasn’t anything unbearable. It was still a struggle to sit up, and he knew he couldn’t do so without assistance.

He looked around. Josephine was already gone. She had woken up earlier, and had been conversing with her uncle in the upstairs study.

“God, my back’s killing me!” exclaimed her uncle, wincing in pain.

Josephine, who was leaning against the doorframe, chuckled and crossed her arms. “That’s because you slept in the study chair, uncle. Not the most comfortable furniture to sleep in.”

“Yes, well,” said William, pouring himself a cup of tea. “Isn’t there something more important that we need to discuss? Hm?”

His niece sighed. She stepped into the study, pacing about. “You know what we came here for, uncle. What I’m supposed to do. Now that the Order has been stopped, it seems like I’m running out of options.”

“And are you actually going to go through with it?”

“I- I don’t know,” confessed Josephine. “It all seemed easy at first, but now… we’ve talked about this, uncle. I can’t betray the Brotherhood like this,” she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t betray his trust.”

William calmly sipped his beverage.

“Ah, I see,” he said with a nod, setting the cup down.

“W- What?” Josephine stopped in her tracks, turning to look at William inquisitively.

“You’ve really fallen for the boy, haven’t you?” He smiled knowingly.

“Uncle!” gasped Josephine in disbelief. “Listen, there is nothing going on between us! We’re just…”

“Companions?” William raised a condescending eyebrow.

Josephine shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes shifted about the room, trying not to think about that forehead kiss, or Connor imploring her to keep him company last night.

“Yes, companions. That’s it,” she muttered under her breath.

“After this morning’s sight, I highly doubt that,” William laughed to himself. “Sharing a bed? Talk about a school for scandal! And if you ask for my humble opinion, I’d say he’s taken quite a liking to you too.”

“Look can we please just…” Josephine closed her eyes. It was obvious that she was beginning to get frustrated with the teasing.

Noting her expression, William quickly fell silent. “I’m sorry, Josephine. I didn’t mean to anger you,” he apologized.

“It’s fine,” she shook her head, running fingers through her fringe. She walked past William towards one of the windows. For a while, the atmosphere became awkward between them.As Josephine continued to look out the window, William helped himself to another cup of tea, and attempted to change the subject.

“So…” said William as he stirred in the sugar cubes. “What now?”

“Connor said he found the amulet on Charles Lee,” replied Josephine, folding her arms. “And we know the location of the Precursor Site in Black Creek.”

“You mean the one…?”

Josephine nodded her head. “They’re connected, somehow. I don’t know what Connor’s planning to do with that amulet, but _he_ must never find out where it is. Both the amulet… and the site.”

“And your other mission?”

Josephine didn’t give an immediate response. She began to chew her bottom lip. William nodded slowly, understanding. Setting the empty cup aside, he straightened himself. “Josephine,” he began. “As you know, I’m only here as your guardian. Despite whatever advice I may have, you alone must make the final choice.”

“I know.”

“You know, I must say I’ve grown quite proud of you. You’ve grown into a remarkable young lady. I’m sure your mother would be happy to see how far you’ve come, and your father as well… if he were alive today,” William straightened his jacket. He excused himself from the room, stating that he was going to go check on the patient downstairs.

“Uncle William,” Josephine called, stopping her uncle who was already on the way out.

“Yes?”

“You weren’t wrong, by the way.” She glanced over her shoulder with a small smile. “About my feelings,” Josephine finally admitted.

Her uncle grinned and left the room, leaving Josephine alone with her thoughts. She turned to look back out the window, dropping her hands to the sides as she clenched them tightly. Once again, she felt her heart swell up inside. That same, familiar feeling she had the previous night.

The whole deal with the precursor site was simple a side mission for her, but the main one she’d originally been assigned to, the cause of her conflicting feelings towards the assassin… now that was a different case altogether. True, her feelings did develop over time (which only made the order harder to carry out), but there was always that lingering sense of duty in her head. Josephine knew that she’d have to come clean to Connor one day; this wasn’t something she could hide forever. Even if she did, she was sure that it might come back to haunt her someday, and Josephine had no idea how he would react to the news when the time came.

_I’m sorry, Connor. I don’t deserve someone like you._

 


End file.
